Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/912628
Corps (ILC), a project in partnership with the Stanford Center for Opportu- nity Policy in Education and the National B o a rd R e s o u r c e C e n t e r a t S t a n f o rd University. ILC is at the cutting edge of teacher-driven professional development. Pellettera is also a National Board Certi- fied Teacher, and is supporting a group of demonstration teachers who are working toward that goal. Since 2015, teachers and principals from every site have participated in dis- trictwide "Instructional Rounds," focusing o n b e st p ra c t i c e s i n d e m o n st ra t i o n classrooms. More than 750 educators, including n ew and vet eran t each ers, have visited the classrooms to learn and observe. Videos expand audience To share examples of good teaching with a wider audience, the DTP films lessons. e district hired an instructional videog- rapher, who produces about 15 videos per year, each between three and nine min- utes. So far there are more than 65 videos, several of which are featured on the Cali- fornia Department of Education's website as an exemplary resource for teachers. ey are also being used by AVID in their professional development conferences. e videos have had nearly 130,000 views and have been shown in 49 countries. e online videos and word of mouth have prompted other districts to visit San Bernardino. Some districts, such as " OBSERVING OTHER TEACHERS MAKES EVERYONE A BETTER TEACHER. WE HAVE AMAZING RESOURCES WHO HAVE A PASSION TO SHARE THEIR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE. IT MAKES SENSE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT EXPERTISE." — MORGAN PELLETTERA, SAN BERNARDINO TEACHERS ASSOCIATION AND LEAD TEACHER IN THE DEMONSTRATION TEACHER PROGRAM San Bernardino County Teacher of the Year and demonstration teacher Tracy Diekmann-Acuña. Notes taken by an observing teacher in Diekmann-Acuña's class. Ontario-Montclair, have expressed inter- est in implementing a similar program. In addition to modeling lessons and starring in videos, demonstration teach- ers present at conferences, use social m edia to increase awaren ess of DTP, sh are an d publi sh l e ss on pl an s, an d provide in-service training to keep col- leagues abreast of new CCSS and NGSS developments. e district also provides each demonstration teacher with $2,000 a year to spend on the conferences of their choice, so they can stay at the forefront of educational best practices. It 's a bi g re sp on si bi lity b ut w or th it, says demonstration teach er Tracy Diekmann- Acuña, a third-grade teacher a t E m m e r t o n E l e m e n t a r y w h o w a s recently named San Bernardino County Teacher of the Year. " Un l e s s y o u t r y t o d o s o m e t h i n g beyond what you have mastered , you will never grow," says Diekmann-Acuña, a n S B T A m e m b e r . " B e i n g a 41 D E C E M B E R 2 017 / J A N U A R Y 2 018